An alleged hitman linked to a local gun-for-hire group was arrested in a drug buy-bust operation in Tagbilaran City on Tuesday night, police said.

According to PO3 Jonathan Argao of the Tagbilaran Police Station, suspect Ronel Mahumot was about to carry out a hit against one “Elizabeth” based on text conversations found on his mobile phone.

In a report, police said that Mahumot was caught in possession of shabu worth P60,000 and a .38 caliber revolver with six rounds of live ammunition.

Mahumot was reportedly getting orders for the hit from “Joe” Aguilar who police believe to be Victor Aguilar, a Bohol District Jail detainee who was arrested by National Bureau of Investigation agents in Tagbilaran last year for drug charges.

Aguilar is a suspected cohort of alleged Visayas drug kingpin Kerwin Espinosa who is also in government custody for drug raps.

Argao said that Mahumot was already about to carry out the hit when anti-narcotics operatives of the Tagbilaran police arrested the suspect along K of C Drive in Poblacion 2 at 7 p.m.

The suspect was already communicating with an unidentified individual regarding Elizabeth’s whereabouts, added Argao.

Mahumot was already paid in advance for the killing of Elizabeth while additional payment was supposed to be given to him after the hit based on text messages found in the suspect’s phone.

Authorities believe that the hit against Elizabeth, whose full identity was not yet known, could be drug-related.

According to police, they had no prior information regarding Mahumot’s involvement with a gun-for-hire group as the suspect was only being monitored for illegal drug activities.

Mahumot is now detained at the Tagbilaran City Police Station lock-up jail pending the filing of charges against him. (W. Maestrado)